1. Field
The present disclosure relates to electrolytic disinfection systems and methods for purifying water, and more particularly, to an electrolytic disinfection system and method for purifying water that may enhance electrolytic disinfection efficiency of an electrolytic disinfection device that generates oxidant compounds as power is supplied to the electrolytic disinfection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most typical water purifying devices for home use include at least one activated carbon filter to remove chlorine, taste, smell, and disinfection byproducts from tap water. Such an activated carbon filter may efficiently filter microorganisms in the initial stage of use. However, since there is no mechanism for inactivating, e.g., destroying, microorganisms, microorganisms may become attached to the activated carbon and may proliferate after a predetermined period of time, thereby increasing the possibility of discharging contaminants from the water purifying device. Therefore, the activated carbon filters in a typical water purifying device are required to be periodically replaced. An average replacement cycle is about 2 months, and maintenance of the water purifying device is difficult and expensive, and the costs of managing the water purifying device is increased due to the continual replacement of the activated carbon filters.
Accordingly, electrolytic disinfection methods have been experimentally implemented in recent years.
Electrolytic disinfection is a water purifying technology for inactivating microorganisms present in water by generating a potential difference between two electrodes so that the water molecule is split, i.e., hydrolyzed, and various oxidizing agents are formed thereby.
Oxidant compounds including reactive oxygen species (“ROS”), such as chlorine (Cl2), hypochlorite ions (OCl−), hydroxyl (OH) radicals, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and ozone (O3), various ions and radical species for sterilization are generated in the water which has undergone hydrolysis.
Chemical agents may alternatively be used. For example, a chlorine-based oxidizing agent, such as hypochlorous acid, chlorine or chlorine dioxide, and an oxygen-based oxidizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone or hydroxyl radical, are the most effective cleansing agents currently used for cleaning household or industrial products. Such oxidant molecules having a strong oxidation potential are applied to various fields, including disinfection and sterilization. Since electrolyte disinfection devices performing electrolysis as described above may be effectively applied to water disinfection and sterilization, they are advantageous in that they have higher disinfection efficiency, are safer, are easier to operate, and have lower costs than general methods using a chemical agent.
However, if contamination is severe, the amount of voltage and current, the concentration of an electrolytic solution, and an electrolysis reaction time are all increased in order to achieve a same level of sterilization as when the contamination is less severe, thereby greatly increasing energy consumption and a processing time and making it possible to corrode an electrolytic disinfection system.
Accordingly, there is an increasing demand for an electrolytic disinfection system that may enhance electrolytic disinfection efficiency under electrolysis conditions.